NOVPUB“What?”
At Ludger’s comment about accepting all the gifts, Sedina looked utterly dumbfounded.
Ordinarily, Ludger would’ve expected her to exclaim, “As expected of a First Order, your ambition knows no bounds!” But instead, she stared at him in disbelief, and he looked back at her, puzzled.
“Uh, it’s just... Is that okay? To accept all of them?”
“There’s no issue.”
“I just thought... it might cause trouble later.”
“You were worried about that?”
Ludger nodded as if understanding her concern.
“Sedina. Why do you think they sent me these gifts in the first place?”
“Because... they wanted to offer them in exchange for your alliance—?”
“No.”
Ludger cut her off firmly.
“The Night of Mystery is still far off. And yet they rushed to send their invitations, even competing with one another. Why do you think that is?”
“To claim you in advance... before anyone else could...”
“The invitation alone would’ve sufficed. There was no need to send gifts. But they did. Why?”
“To draw your attention, First Order-nim.”
They all knew that flowery words in a letter alone wouldn’t win someone over.
That’s why they felt the need to show something material.
“Their gifts weren’t an exchange offer. They were tributes—hoping I’ll choose to stand with them.”
“Ah...”
Sedina’s eyes widened in realization.
What Ludger said sounded similar to what she had assumed, yet was fundamentally different.
Where Sedina saw an offer between equals—or an offer made from a position of power—
Ludger saw a concession made from a position of subordination.
“If only one group had sent a gift, this might’ve been more complicated. But the fact that all three did? That actually makes things easier.”
“Th-Then after accepting all the gifts... which group will you choose?”
“None of them.”
“Excuse me?”
“None. I won’t choose any of them.”
He repeated himself, seeing that she hadn’t fully grasped it.
Sedina tilted her head slightly in confusion.
“Their gifts were meant to earn favor. Accepting them is my right.”
And whether or not he chooses to respond—that’s also his right.
“Should I at least send them a reply?”
“No. No reply is needed. The longer I stay silent, the more anxious they’ll become.”
“Huh? But then—”
“If they have eyes to see and ears to hear, they’ll realize I haven’t chosen anyone yet. So what do you think they’ll do?”
If he had chosen a side cleanly, the others could have at least given up without hesitation.
But the longer he delayed, the more they’d obsess over it.
“The Towers and Alliances... they’ll all start getting desperate!”
“Exactly. And the closer we get to the Night of Mystery, the more that desperation will grow.”
Of course, outwardly, they’d all act like they weren’t bothered.
They’d pretend not to care.
But the mere fact that they had already sent gifts proved how highly they valued him.
‘Looks like I’ve become quite the desirable prize.’
His [Source Code] spell, his coordinate designation magic—those were things any true seeker of magic would go mad to obtain.
And Ludger had yet to show the full extent of his abilities.
They said they wanted to recruit him, but what they truly wanted was his magic.
“So all we need to do is accept the gifts and stay quiet.”
“I-I didn’t realize, and I almost questioned your insight. I’m sorry!”
Sedina lowered her head deeply in remorse.
In the past, Ludger would’ve told her to tone it down, but he was used to it by now. Her over-the-top reactions had become routine.
‘Still... she’s quite loyal to me.’
From the beginning, when he brought Sedina Roschen in as his assistant, Ludger had formed a plan.
Sedina Roschen was an outsider even within the Black Dawn Society.
And yet, her loyalty to the organization remained strong—and her abilities were exceptional.
‘If I could redirect that loyalty from the Society to me personally...’
She would become the perfect double agent—someone who could extract information from the Black Dawn better than anyone else.
‘The problem is... I still have no idea what she’s really thinking.’
He couldn’t tell whether her respect came from his title as First Order—
Or from genuine admiration for him as a person.
‘If I reveal the truth here, and she’s not ready... she could snap.’
If he were to say, “I’m not the First Order you thought I was,” Sedina might very well scream, “You lied to me!” and attack him.
‘And with Zero Order recently appearing at Seorn, there’s no telling if any eyes remain on me. I can’t take that risk.’
Still, lately, Sedina’s behavior had changed.
She no longer went to extremes trying to impress him.
That, he figured, was because she’d finally found some stability.
Before this, even within the Society, she hadn’t been acknowledged—always isolated.
But that wasn’t enough.
Unless he understood and addressed the root of the issue within Sedina Roschen...
Their relationship would never go beyond the surface level.
‘I need to figure out what her core problem is.’
As he pondered this, someone knocked on the office door.
A student? This early?
Ludger looked toward the door, puzzled, then spoke up.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
And the person who stepped in took Ludger completely by surprise.
“Professor Vierno?”
Vierno Dentis.
The elven professor of fourth-year Spirit Studies at Seorn.
He looked like a boy, but his somber, reserved air hinted at a deep well of experience.
“Ah. There you are, Professor Ludger.”
“What brings you here?”
They hadn’t crossed paths since the incident at the banquet hall.
Vierno replied with a calm voice.
“Actually, I didn’t come to see you. I’m here to speak with your assistant.”
“You mean Assistant Sedina?”
Ludger turned to Sedina, clearly confused.
She, meanwhile, looked a bit awkward—perhaps she’d experienced something similar before.
“Is something the matter with my assistant?”
“No, nothing like that. I just came out of personal interest.”
Personal interest?
Vierno, despite his appearance, was a well-educated elf. He didn’t get emotionally involved with trivial matters.
And yet here he was, seeking out a first-year assistant?
“If it’s not too intrusive, may I speak with Miss Sedina?”
“...I suppose. Go ahead.”
“Miss Sedina, have you decided yet—about what we discussed?”
Apparently it wasn’t a secret, as Vierno asked the question directly in front of Ludger.
Sedina hesitated, clearly flustered.
‘Wait... is this a love confession?’
The thought popped into Ludger’s head before he could stop it.
Visually, Sedina’s petite figure and Vierno’s youthful appearance made them seem like a perfect pair.
Visually.
In reality, their age gap must’ve been astronomical.
‘So why is Professor Vierno interested in Sedina?’
Could he have discovered her link to the Black Dawn?
But his demeanor didn’t suggest suspicion at all.
That’s when Sedina finally spoke.
“I-I’m sorry. But I still prefer... the way things are now.”
“...I see. My apologies, then. I must’ve been a bother.”
“N-No, not at all.”
Sedina gave a rare, deeply respectful bow.
Then, seemingly unable to bear the awkwardness, she quickly excused herself and fled into the assistant’s room, claiming she hadn’t finished sorting some documents.
“Well... it seems I may have offended her.”
Vierno muttered softly, watching her retreat with a faint trace of regret in his tone.
“I think she was just embarrassed, not offended.”
“...Then I suppose that’s a relief.”
“That's surprising,” I said.
“You find my interest in Assistant Sedina surprising?”
“To be honest, yes.”
Vierno scratched his cheek, looking a bit sheepish.
“I suppose that’s fair. I know what kind of elf I am. But in fact, Professor Ludger, I’d like to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“Sedina Roschen. Are you truly unaware of how... unusual she is?”
Ludger had to pause to consider what that question implied.
It wasn’t about her being affiliated with the Black Dawn.
No—Vierno was pointing to something else hidden beneath the surface.
Come to think of it...
Sedina did seem to be hiding many things.
She hated her family, clearly resented her lineage, and appeared to have some strange connection to Julia Plumehart, the top first-year student.
He’d never asked, thinking it wasn’t relevant—but could there be something more?
“Judging by your reaction... I suppose you didn’t know. I assumed you selected her as your assistant because you recognized that peculiarity.”
“I selected her purely based on ability.”
“I see. And judging by her reactions... it seems she genuinely enjoys working under you.”
Enjoys it?
Ludger almost denied it—he didn’t think things were that warm between them—but he held his tongue and let Vierno continue.
“So then, what is it? What is this ‘peculiarity’ Assistant Sedina possesses?”
“It’s not ideal to talk about someone behind their back...”
Vierno hesitated briefly, then sighed with a tinge of resignation.
“But I suppose it’s fine if it’s you. She clearly trusts you, Professor Ludger.”
The way he phrased it stirred genuine curiosity in Ludger.
He listened silently.
“Have you never wondered? Why someone so talented has remained entirely unknown until now?”
“Well...”
He had assumed it was because she had deliberately kept a low profile—perhaps to hide her Black Dawn connection.
“In that case, let me ask this—why do you think Sedina keeps her hair so long, always covering her ears?”
“......”
It was deliberate concealment.
A hostility toward her family. A connection to Vierno, an elf.
The scattered puzzle pieces in Ludger’s mind clicked together all at once.
“...Don’t tell me—”
Vierno nodded.
“Yes. Sedina Roschen carries elven blood, just like I do. Though in her case, only half.”
Sedina Roschen—
Her true identity was that of a half-elf.
* * *
I slowly nodded at Vierno’s explanation.
“That’s... quite a revelation.”
“...You don’t seem all that surprised. Were you already aware?”
“......”
What’s he talking about?
I am surprised.
I’d thought I was prepared for anything, but this? This actually caught me off guard.
It seemed Professor Vierno didn’t believe me, but whatever.
Still... if ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) she’s part elf, a lot of her behavior makes sense.
Avoiding others, always covering her ears with her hair.
Even the way she used unique plant-based magic—like paper magic derived from nature.
A half-elf...
A literal hybrid—born from a human and an elf.
Judging by the name Roschen, the father was likely human, the mother an elf.
But if you asked me whether Sedina was the result of mutual love...
I’d have to say no.
In this day and age, “half-bloods” were still far from accepted.
“Is that why you made her an offer, Professor Vierno? Asked her to join you?”
“Yes. She shares elven blood with me. I thought that if she were being forcibly held somewhere, I should step in to help her.”
“How?”
“I intended to remove her from the Roschen family... and bring her to live among our people.”
That, in its own way, was just as shocking.
Despite her being half human, he had considered bringing her into an elf village.
“She’s still part human. Isn’t that... unexpected?”
“You’re surprised, I see. Understandable. It’s been a while since the war ended, but for long-lived races like elves and beastkin, it wasn’t that long ago.”
I nodded.
Science had rapidly advanced in this world over the past fifty years or so.
But even by 21st-century standards, there were still glaring human rights issues.
If now is bad, imagine what it was like then.
The Racial Wars.
The era when humans enslaved and hunted non-human races.
That was long, long ago.
Now, most people had forgotten.
The warmongers were gone.
But what about the other races?
Many had not forgotten—and still hated humans to this day.
Naturally, half-bloods had a terrible image.
The children of war—born not from peace, but from violation.
‘Considering the rumors about the Roschen family... Sedina’s birth might very well be—’
Slavery of non-human races.
Humans pursuing “superior” bloodlines.
That alone gave me a pretty good idea of what happened.
This is... complicated.
I never imagined the assistant I kept so close was a half-elf.
“You know what kind of persecution half-bloods have suffered through history, right, Professor Ludger?”
“I do.”
“Then forgive me, but I’d like to make a request. Please—help me persuade her.”
Vierno was asking sincerely.
And I could sense it—there was no hidden agenda, no ulterior motive.
Only honest concern for Sedina.
After a moment’s thought, I gave him my answer.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”
